New Here (3 Weeks In)

the ENT wants me do a MRI/Cat scan to see if I have acoustic neuroma. The T is only in the left ear...other ear is fine.

 

Update: 1 month has passed and T and H are still present. I think H has gotten a little better but T has increased since I went to that bar without earplugs for 10 minutes, even though music was 60-76 decibels I think it has perhaps raised for good now (the level that is). However, T was completely gone this morning when I woke up for 5-10 minutes, it was amazing to hear the silence again. I prayed to god that it would stay like that but then T appeared again
If T doesn't improve in 6-8 months then I will try TRT therapy. I am skeptical that I will improve but then again who knows...

 

@dpdx the fact that your T seems to have gone, even for a little while, is an encouraging sign. if you go the TRT route expect the treatment period to be between 1 to 2 years.( I haven't had the treatment but have looked at the principles of the TRT protocol).
I believe @Michael Leigh has had TRT though so he would be a good person to touch base with for some pointers as to what to expect.

 

Thanks! I am giving myself 6-8 months time frame for any signs of recovery. After that I will try the therapy TRT. I talked to Michael, he is such a great person!
How is your T now pathworker?

 

@pathworker2017 I have spoken to @dpdx a few times now and advised him not to start TRT for at least 6 months after onset of tinnitus. There is a good reason for this. Please see the post below.

What is TRT and when should it be started?

I have talked about TRT in many of my posts. One tinnitus talk member recently told me that I have mentioned it no less than twenty five times. He went on to ask, am I an Audiologist promoting my practice in this forum purely for business purposes? Another member was quite disgruntled and told me to stop mentioning it because where he lives the treatment is expensive and can’t afford it. It just goes to show one never knows what is going on behind the scenes when you think no one is watching.

I understand and empathise with people that are unable to afford this treatment or any other to help one’s health but don’t feel this is a good enough reason for me to stop mention it when I believe it can help, having had TRT twice in the 20 years that I’ve had tinnitus. I am not an Audiologist. I just consider myself like many others at tinnitus talk, who want to help people that are having a difficult time coping with this condition, as I was once helped many years go when I first got tinnitus.

Some people have been sending me private messages asking if TRT cures tinnitus? A member mentioned having two sessions with their Audiologist and was shown some slides, and told that anxiety can make tinnitus louder. Understandably this person wasn’t sure if this was TRT, and then asked if it’s something they could do on their own? As I have mentioned I have had TRT twice and I also have the Tinnitus Retraining Therapy book, written by Professor Pawel Jastreboff and Jonathon Hazell. It is available at Amazon should anyone wish to purchase it.

It is the reference book that Hearing Therapists and Audiologists follow when practicing TRT with their tinnitus patients. There are two parts to the treatment. Counselling and sound therapy. Sound therapy is supplied by wearing two white noise generators and then using a “sound machine “ at night by the bedside for sound enrichment. If hyperacusis is present the sound therapy will also treat it. Throughout the TRT book there is no mention that this treatment cures tinnitus. TRT or Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, is what it implies: Through regular counselling sessions there is a gradual retraining of the way a person thinks about tinnitus and to treat it as non life threatening.

At first the therapist discusses with the patient how the tinnitus makes them feel and how it has impacted on their life. Often people say they have lost interest in the things they once liked doing, which is perfectly understandable. The main goal here is to gradually help them look at life differently and with a more positive outlook. Over time the negative thinking that is often associated with tinnitus and hyperacusis is gradually dispelled and demystified.

The Hearing Therapist does this in a controlled and precise manner so that the patient feels relaxed and not pressured. In many instances the tinnitus is gradually pushed further into the background making it less prominent. Therefore, it must be stressed and understood, this treatment takes time. To complete a course of TRT takes approximately twelve to twenty four months and in some cases longer. The duration of each counselling session is left to the discretion of the Hearing Therapist. Typically, these can last up to one hour or more. The amount of appointments required will be different for each patient, but it is quality rather than the quantity of the counselling that really matters.

There are a few misconceptions about this treatment and the way it is administered that some people misunderstand which I want to address. If a patient is given one white noise generator to wear this is not TRT. When two wngs are issued and no tinnitus counselling is offered on a regular basis, it is not TRT. I am not saying that a patient will not gain any benefit from the above treatments; I only want to state they do not follow the proper Tinnitus retraining therapy protocol.

When should TRT be implemented or started?

The following is based on my own opinion and therefore is not professional medical advice. The onset of tinnitus can be quite an emotional roller coaster for a lot of people, and I believe a person needs time for this to settle. Many people habituate within the first 6 months to one year of the onset of tinnitus without any treatment. If a person just has tinnitus without any additional symptoms, such as dizziness, deafness or balance problelems. I think a period of six months should elapse before starting a long-term treatment such as TRT.

Michael

 

@dpdx My t fluctuates quite a bit, worst for me is at night , however I think i am slowly finding strategies to deal with it( meditation being one tactic that is showing promise), next step is setting up some sound enrichment( chances are I will probably have to invest in wearable wng's as well as the NHS will probably only offer unilateral devices whereas both ears require a balanced input of broadband sound for treatment to be effective).

The ideal would be to enroll in TRT.

i'm currently on the waiting list to see an ENT surgeon due to what appears to be conductive hearing loss in my right ear, which incidentally is the ear that is mostly affected by T/

 

I wish you the best my friend. I heard good things about the NHS...

 

@dpdx my experiences with the NHS have , for the most part been positive.
@Michael Leigh, thank you for the feedback Michael, I may well have read the article already. BTW I also have the Jasstreboff book.

ATB

Shaun O'Connor.

 

I am surprised that I wasn't prescribed anything when I got T

 

Unfortunately there are still a few who come back with the"learn to live with it" response and leave it at that. one reason being that, if it is subjective T( only you can hear it) coupled with the fact that there is no cure. puts it at a low priority.
A wider understanding of effective strategies for dealing with T would go a long way towards a better working relation between Dr and Patient.

 

I don't want to come off to negative but I am skeptical on life resuming where it left off. I also doubt that it will get better, since that bar i went last Wednesday the T has been pretty loud.

 

This is huge news. IMO, your T is healing nicely and will continue to fade. It will still take a long time (many months) but I would not be a bit surprised to read you success story here next year. It may still be a roller coaster ride, but you are definitely heading in the right direction

 

I hope so man. I hope so.

 

Timeline:

1st week: Tinnitus appeared on September 23, first two days were bad could hear it over stuff), t lowered and it was manageable, no h
2nd week: Tinnitus fluctuates in sound and in intensity (mild), however there was a small spike that lasted a little bit, no h, t
3 week: Tinnitus fluctuates in sound and in intensity (mild), no h present
4 week: Tinnitus fluctuates in sound and in intensity (mild), h appears from perhaps overprotecting my ears or as an symptom that appeared later.
5 week: Both Tinnitus and Hyperacusia fluctuate in intensity,
6 week: 4 day spike after going to a bar where music was 60--75 decibels, hyperacusia fluctuates
7 week: spike from listening to music on laptop at low volume or talking on a cellphone, hyperacusia present.

 

Things I do:
-take vitamins every day
-go on walks every day, no earplugs
-sound enrichment every night for hyperacusis, i use the sound oasis machine which as 24 sounds, i keep it below my tinnitus
-I wear earplugs in loud situations
-avoid silence, have movies playing at a reasonable volume
-eat fruits and vegetables every day.
-read/study sometimes in my room with the sound enrichment on, takes my mind off t and h.

 

What is the range? How loud is the loudest sound and how quiet is the quietest sound?

 

Hmm
The most quiet i had was complete silence and this was experienced two times this week
quiet is when I cant heard it over the tv or my sound oasis machine, it can be easily masked
moderate/severe is when i can hear it over my sound machine or the tv.

 

and when i can hear it over a fan blowing...

 

If it is a high pitch sound, it doesn't have to be loud for you to hear it over a fan. When it is bad, is it louder than a whisper?

 

when it is bad it can be heard over the tv. If you see my timeline of weeks Bill it seems to be getting worse.

 

You are one of very few people here who can hear silence from time to time. This is a good sign...

 

I don't know man. I don't feel like I am improving. I am keeping optimistic that things will turn around by the new year at latest.

 

Bad night last night T woke me up at 2AM, high pitch sound...perhaps a spike?

 

I'm in the same spot. My MRI is tomorrow. I had a follow up appointment with the ENT on December 5th to discuss the MRI results. I called the ENT today and asked if they had anything sooner or if I could be put on a cancellation list due to the annoyance of the tinnitus. They moved my appointment up to November 30th. I'll take anything sooner than later. lol I'll make sure to post MRI and follow up results/findings once I know more. Best of luck to all of you.

 

Thanks

 

Is a "thank you" worth more than $10 or less than $10?!

 

My currency is sterlin and by the way I was joking with @dpdx There is also a saying that you may not know of: there is no sweetness in nothing. However, in this particular case I want it clearly understood since it's of interest to you, I was joking with dpdx but realize you may know much about British sense of humour.

Michael

 

I was quoting a Russian/Soviet joke. The original translates as "Is spasibo worth more or less than 3 rubles?"

I am a diehard fan of Karl Pilkington. I watched, listened to, and read everything he had ever done. His style of humor might be considered British humour, right?

 

Thank you for the clarification and will accept your remark as a joke. I have never heard of Karl Pilkington but thank your bringing him to my attention.

 

KP is pretty famous. He's big here too in the states.